( magnum )

Comments made by magnum

I don't normally direct responses to 'individuals', normally just post my thoughts and read those of others. However, since 'racingfan' decided to call me out (hit a chord, eh? yeah, sometimes the truth hurts) - do you actually think the DAA and DMTC would allow anything to jeopardize that track? No. Nice try but a stretch. The track surface is a different topic - don't try to mix the two. From what I hear some owners/trainers love it, others hate it. But suggesting that they'd allow it to be damaged is just silly. I guess if I had no other argument, I'd bring something else up too. Nice history lesson and rant about Del Martians- what's that got to do with the sale of the fairgrounds? Nothing you said changes my originally posted opinions. And since I'm calling people out - DON WOOD, you should read the EIR before making the statements you made. False and incorrect. 'pave over the fairgrounds' and 'convention center'? what document did you read? whether or not I agree with the master plan does not matter there's a process (it's called CEQA, look it up) and they are following it. I do NOT like that a state senator and a city think they can deny that process to ANYONE. oh and by the way, the process for the is NOT even over. they can't just 'ignore thousands of comments'. Come on, if you're gonna comment on it, at least know what you're talking about. and if you think you know what you're talking about - show me where you're right. I don't mind if I'm wrong, though it happens so rarely!! ha ha ha!!

My two cents - this doesn't make sense. As a state agency, the fairgrounds do not have to comply with the City's Community Plan/Zoning Ordinance. If sold, it’s no longer the States and therefore, no longer excluded from Del Mar plans/ordinances. Del Mar could then exclude commercial/residential uses if desired (or they can carve out pieces and allow those uses). So the notion that they won’t be in control of what happens on the site is wrong. This would obviously do nothing to resolve any budget issues - of the $120 million, roughly $50 million would be used to pay off existing debt. Assuming they get $30 million up front and finance the balance the State ends up with $30 million cash and some sort of yearly/monthly payment for the remaining $40 mil. So the Fairgrounds is sold for, in essence, $70 mil. I don't think that'll resolve or make a bit of difference to the State budget. And I don't think the described method of financing will work - the facility will lose money and, in my opinion, the fair and races will disappear. Personally don't want to see that happen and while I assume the Del Martians would love it - this isn't theirs to do what they want with. It's OURS. The kept mentioning ‘local’ control when they should have said ‘regional’. This is, after all, a 'regional' asset. Why not engage the County of SD, other local Cities, etc and truly attempt to get 'regional' control - not Del Mar control. I see this as a land grab, an opportunity for the City of Del Mar to minimize the fair/races such that they are no longer viable and then carve up pieces of the property to sell off for development creating a new tax base for themselves. Sure, they'll keep the fair and races, or what's left of them (I doubt there’s anything that says it has to be a good fair or a good race meet), in the public domain as 'required' by the Governor until it is no longer financially feasible to operate them (I give it 5 years). Let me be clear, I don't necessarily oppose regional control - I oppose exclusive control by Del Mar (do the math – 6 appointees by Del Mar out of 9 = Del Mar control NOT regional control), I oppose the manner by which this agreement came to be, I oppose the logic of the financing, I question the ability of Del Mar to run the operation, and I question Kehoe’s motives – the Fairgrounds are within her senate district, she has an obligation to serve that entity as well as the rest of district, not just Del Mar. This facility has been successful since 1936, long before Del Mar was a City, it doesn't cost the taxpayer a dime, provides for a world class fair, a world class race meet and interim events that serve the local community and businesses. Why would you change it and if you did - is it really for the reasons stated? I don't think so.